‘Most people think we’re mad’: Nottingham student plans row across the Atlantic

A history student at the University of Nottingham is preparing to row the Atlantic in two years’ time. He and his teammate will be among the youngest to take on the challenge.

James Dewar (left) is preparing to row the Atlantic Ocean with his childhood friend, Noah Winston, a PPE student at the University of Warwick. The pair will be 22 and 23 years old when they start the row in December 2028, making them one of the youngest teams to take part.

The novice team, who have branded themselves Two Regular Buoys, are taking part in the World’s Toughest Row, a 3000 mile ocean rowing race from the Canary Islands to Antigua. The challenge can take between 40 and 60 days with no stops, but James hopes to complete the challenge in under 60 days.

He said: “Most people think we’re mad, but to do something incredible like that when you’re young, if we didn’t do it now we’d never do it”

Noah (left) and James (right)

James and Noah will be raising money for a mental health charity. They stress their desire to address the challenges and uncertainty young people face, by taking on an inherently unpredictable challenge.

The duo are taking a unique approach and documenting the entire process from start to finish through their Instagram and TikTok accounts, named after the team. Their aim is to cover how they’re raising money and their daily lives as uni students. Their first video gained around 17,000 views.

As part of their training with the World’s Toughest Row, the boys have to complete 120 hours in the boat on the water, and carry out strength and safety training. This race is one of the hardest endurance challenges in the world, with participants facing extreme sleep deprivation, salt sores, and weight loss.

Thankfully, the boats are designed to self-right, the cabins are water tight, and there’s a water maker onboard, plus an emergency supply. James acknowledges that the ocean is unpredictable, pointing to risks of Marlin strikes and bad weather.

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He said: “I think my mum’s still pretty scared about it.”

via World’s Toughest Row

The team will prepare for the ocean as best they can, but their biggest challenge is raising the money. If they don’t raise enough, they won’t be able to go.

James and Noah need to raise £150,000 to pay for the boat, shipping costs, and food, especially as they need to eat over 5000 calories a day each. They’re aiming for multiple business sponsorships, as well as raising money for charity.

via World’s Toughest Row

While on the water they’ll be rowing for two hours on and two hours off. While they’re not rowing, the pair will be sleeping, eating, and carrying out checks on the boat. Although they aren’t followed, they will be tracked from the shore, and receive daily safety calls and weather updates. 

One thing Two Regular Buoys are clear about is that they’re just normal people taking on this massive challenge.

James said: “We’re not professional athletes, we’re just two uni students who just decided to do this.”

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